Cardinal Angelo Becciu, convicted in 2023 for embezzlement related to a Vatican investment scandal, has confirmed he will not participate in the May 7 conclave to elect a new pope, citing a desire to uphold Church unity. ​

Becciu was stripped of his cardinal rights in 2020 amid allegations of financial misconduct. Despite being technically eligible to vote, his status as a "non-elector" and the delivery of two letters from Pope Francis urging him not to participate led to his decision, according to the Associated Press (AP).

His trial, the first of a cardinal in a Vatican criminal court, centered on a €350 million investment in a London property and misuse of Church funds, resulting in a 5½-year prison sentence, which he is currently appealing. ​

Becciu is a former advisor to the late Pope Francis, who was once considered a papal contender himself.

"I have decided to obey, as I have always done, the will of Pope Francis not to enter into conclave," Becciu said, while continuing to protest his innocence.

The 76-year-old said he decided to take a step back "having at heart the good of the Church" and "to contribute to the communion and serenity of the Conclave".

Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu has announced he will obey the will of the late Pope Francis, renouncing his participation in the conclave to elect a new Pope, which begins on May 7.https://t.co/JXiZdk0nzf

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) April 29, 2025

Vatican criminal court

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In 2023, Becciu was sentenced to five years and six months in prison for financial crimes, although he is appealing the conviction. Becciu's case was part of efforts by the late Pope Francis to reform the Vatican’s finances and increase transparency.

He stood trial with nine others as the most senior clergyman in the Catholic Church to face a Vatican criminal court.

On Monday, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who served as the Vatican's Secretary of State and was the late Pope Francis’ number two, presented Becciu with two letters, one from 2023 and another from last month, both signed by the late Pope Francis, confirming that he was barred from the conclave.

According to the Domani newspaper, these letters formally prevented Becciu from participating, despite earlier reports that he had been pushing to take part in the election of the next pope. 

Electing new pope

From 2011 to 2018, Becciu served as number two in the Vatican's Secretariat of State, during which Cardinal Pietro Parolin, considered a frontrunner to be the next pope due to his extensive diplomatic experience, was his superior. 

However, Vatican expert John L. Allen Jr. cautioned that questions surrounding Parolin's involvement in the London real estate scandal could complicate his chances of becoming pope, despite his diplomatic standing.

Catholic cardinals have set May 7 for the conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor, delaying the vote to allow time for informal talks and consensus-building.

In the coming days, 135 cardinals will gather in the Sistine Chapel to elect a successor to the late Pope Francis, a decision that will shape the future direction of the Catholic Church. This 2025 papal conclave is marked by unpredictability, with a majority of the cardinal-electors participating in their first papal election.

Though the conclave could have started May 5, extra days were added for discussions with cardinals over 80, who cannot vote but are included in early sessions.

While many support continuing Francis’ pastoral focus on people who are marginalized, against war, conservatives are pushing to restore unity and emphasize the core doctrines of St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.